As crisis continues, Meitei body rejects NDA resolution

An uneasy calm shrouded Manipur on Tuesday as the umbrella body of Meitei civil society outfits rejected a resolution passed by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislators and members of warring ethnic groups took out separate rallies in their respective strongholds over divergent demands.

- Thomas Ngangom

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based joint body of Meitei organisations, rejected the resolution adopted after chief minister N Biren Singh convened a meeting of MLAs on Monday and gave the state government 24 hours to review it. "The resolution to label just the group involved in the killing of six individuals, including three minors, as funlawful organisations, is unsatisfactory to the people of Manipur. The people demand that all Kuki underground outfits under So O [Suspension of Operations] be declared as unlawful organisation," COCOMI spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba said. Monday's meeting, which was convened amid a surge in violence in the strife-torn state, produced a strongly worded seven-point resolution that called for immediate action on multiple fronts, including the declaration of militants responsible for the killings of six people of a Jiribam-based Meitei family as members of an "unlawful organisation" within seven days. The abduction and killings of the six civilians-three women and three children-is one of the central incidents in a cycle of violence and reprisal attacks that have flared up afresh between the Kuki and Meitei communities. In a video message, the CM said that those response for the "barbaric act" will be brought to justice. "I condemn the horrific killing of three innocent children and three innocent women by Kuki terrorists after being taken hostage at Jiribam. Such barbaric acts have no place in any civilized society. Let me assure that the hunt for th